Chilion

Chilion, also spelled Kilion, is a name that appears in the Hebrew Bible. It is most notably borne by one of the two sons of Elimelech and Naomi in the Book of Ruth. Kilion’s brother is Mahlon, and the two brothers marry Moabite women: Mahlon marries Ruth, and Kilion marries Orpah.

During the family’s sojourn in Moab, prompted by a famine in Bethlehem, Elimelech dies, followed by the deaths of Mahlon and Kilion. This leaves Naomi bereaved with Ruth as her daughter-in-law; Orpah returns to her people in Moab. Ruth, however, stays with Naomi and travels with her back to Bethlehem, where Ruth later marries Boaz.

In biblical scholarship, Kilion is generally treated as a relatively minor figure whose primary significance lies in his being one half of a pair of deceased brothers within the Naomi–Elimelech family. The episode helps set the stage for Ruth’s later integration into the lineage that leads to David.

In modern usage, Kilion or Chilion is a rare given name and appears mainly in religious or scholarly contexts. It is not associated with major geographic locations or common contemporary naming trends. The form Kilion is used in some translations of the Hebrew Bible, reflecting the original Hebrew consonants and vowel renderings.